TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Kuomintang (KMT) is not happy Terry Gou (郭台銘) is running for president.

The KMT released a statement on Monday (Aug. 28) after Gou declared he would run as an independent, and said the decision was “deeply regrettable.” The party said that its candidate Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) had been chosen via a selection process that also considered Gou, even though he was not a member of the party anymore.

The party said both Gou and Hou fully understood the selection process, and, “after a fair and just procedure, Hou Yu-ih won.” The KMT also highlighted previous statements made by Gou in which he said that he would support Hou.

While the KMT was still selecting a candidate in April, Gou said he would ultimately support whoever the party chose to defeat the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). “To save our own country, we cannot let the DPP continue to be in power," he said at the time.

The KMT said that it believes Gou will “return to the team” eventually, and “unite with mainstream public opinion to remove the DPP from power.” The party also encouraged Gou to reflect on his purported following of Lord Guan (關公), a Taoist deity that is often taken to represent loyalty and righteousness.

Gou has spent recent months campaigning against the DPP and his entry into the race is likely to further split the opposition party votes. Hou, the Taiwan People’s Party’s Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and now independent Gou are all vying for the opposition vote, as the DPP’s own candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has polled above them.

Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said he had heard from many constituents who wanted to contribute to the 290,000 signatures Guo needs to gather in order to be allowed to run for president, though Lin told his supporters not to waste their time. A DPP spokesperson said that the party respects every candidate’s decision to run for president, and said it will not comment further on the issue, per Mirror Media.